Today’s Flavor adds Saturday’s Belmont Turf Sprint to his victory earlier this season in the Affirmed Success at Aqueduct. NYRA Photo.

By Melissa Bauer-Herzog

The Joseph Calvo-bred Today’s Flavor earned his second stakes victory of the year Saturday with a win in the $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Stakes at Belmont at the Big A.

Coming into the off-the-turf race after an allowance-optional victory just over two weeks ago, the 5-year-old Laoban gelding had the faith of the bettors when they sent him off as the 7-5 favorite. Today’s Flavor was bumped out of the gate by Pirate Rick but quickly recovered to take the lead. He led Dancing Buck by a length through early fractions of :22.33 and :45.41.

Jockey Javier Castellano started coaxing Today’s Flavor at the top of the stretch with fellow New York-bred Thin White Duke making a run. Thin White Duke didn’t let up, but Today’s Flavor was determined to stay in front and won by a half-length with Wit a further half-length back in third.

“That type of horse in the dirt, he likes to be put on the lead,” Castellano said. “He was going to the lead and he encourages himself and gets very confident in himself and that was my goal today and it worked out great. It was supposed to be on the turf, but it rained and the conditions worked out in my case for this particular race, especially the way he did it. I tried to use his speed on the lead and run wire-to-wire. I had a lot of confidence with him and knew he would put in a good show today and I’m happy with the result today.”

Today’s Flavor stopped the clock in 1:09.74 for his seventh victory in 14 starts, pushing him closer to the half-million mark with earnings of $474,080. Fourth in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap and Grade 2 True North – both at dirt – Today’s Flavor also won the Affirmed Success in late April at Aqueduct this season.

“His win last time was just an experiment [on turf] because he is a Laoban and he’s a very versatile horse,” said Blair Golen, assistant to winning trainer George Weaver. “They were a little frustrated with him and the way he was going, and they tried to freshen him up over the summer. He breezed excellent, so what’s the worst that would happen? He wouldn’t win? So, now we have a lot of options.”

The Weaver trainee races for Reddam Racing, which purchased him for $80,000 with Waves Bloodstock as agent at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale from South Point Sales Agency.

Today’s Flavor is one of three winners from seven foals out of the Speightstown mare Evangelical, whose other two winners won three races each. Evangelical herself was a four-time winning half-sister to Grade 2-placed Worship The Moon and four other winners.

Evangelical was sold for $27,000 at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale the year after Today’s Flavor was born and foaled a Jimmy Creed filly in Korea the following February. The filly is a three-time winner in the country. Her most recent foal is a Shackleford yearling filly bred by Kim Ho Jong.

Venti Valentine and Dylan Davis cruise to the finish first in Monday’s Jack Betta Be Rite Stakes at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

Venti Valentine made a successful first trek to Finger Lakes Monday and came away with her fifth stakes victory in the $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares.

Venti Valentine, fresh after winning the Johnstone Mile in early August at Saratoga Race Course in her most recent start, won the the 1 1/16-mile Jack Betta Be Rite by 7 3/4 lengths under Dylan Davis to improve to 2-for-4 in 2023. Trained by Jorge Abreu and sent off as the 2-5 favorite in the field of six, the 4-year-old daughter of Firing Line won in 1:46.45 over the fast track.

Owned by NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and Parkland Thoroughbreds, Venti Valentine avoided a possible squeeze shortly after the start and settled into second behind Missing Fortune past the finish the first time.

Missing Fortune, coming off a win going 6 furlongs in a state-bred allowance last time out at Saratoga, clicked off splits of :24.77 and :48.59 while a half-length ahead of Venti Valentine. Curly Girl and Gone and Forgotten chased the top two up the backstretch with Eros’s Girl and Shesascoldasice behind the others.

Venti Valentine amped up the pressure on the leader after 6 furlongs in 1:13.15 and took over on the far turn. Davis stayed busy on Venti Valentine, the New York-bred champion 2-year-old filly in 2021 and a finalist for New York-bred champion 3-year-old filly honors in 2022, widened her advantage from there. She extended her 4 1/2-length lead in midstretch to the 7 3/4 lengths at the finish with Missing Fortune holding onto the place spot. Shesascoldasice finished third, a head in front of Gone and Forgotten. Curly Girl and Eros’s Girl completed the field.

Bred by Final Furlong Racing Stable and Maspeth Stable and foaled at Schuylerville Thoroughbred Farm in Schuylerville, Venti Valetine improved to 6-2-2 in 14 starts and boosted her bankroll to $647,600 with the victory.

Venti Valentine is one of two stakes winners out of the winning Medaglia d’Oro mare Glory Gold, whose produce record includes multiple stakes winner and $516,625-earner Espresso Shot. That mare was also raced by Venti Valentine’s connections and trained by Abreu.

Espresso Shot was sold for $300,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November mixed sale three years after Final Furlong purchased Glory Gold carrying Venti Valentine for $13,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. They purchased that mare after being impressed with Espresso Shot, who they purchased for $69,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale.

The dam of four winners from five runners overall, Glory Gold is the dam of the New York-bred 2-year-old Omaha Beach filly Landed. Bred by Final Furlong Racing Stable and Maspeth Stable, that filly sold for $500,000 to Lael Stables at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of selected yearlings. She finished third in her debut Sept. 28 against New York-bred maidens on the main track during the Belmont at the Big A meeting.

Venti Valentine won two of three starts, including the Maid of the Mist Stakes, along with a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes as a 2-year-old. She defeated open company in the Busher Invitational Stakes and finished second in the Grade 3 Gazelle to earn a spot in the 2022 Kentucky Oaks. Venti Valentine also won the Bay Ridge Stakes at Aqueduct and finished third in the Fleet Indian Stakes at Saratoga during her 3-year-old campaign.

Brocknardini bounces back from Grade 1 try with victory in Saturday’s Selima Stakes at Laurel Park. Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club Photo.

After a rough outing in her second career start two weeks ago, the Thirty Year Farm-bred Brocknardini bounced back in a big way with a win in Sunday’s $150,000 Selima Stakes at Laurel Park.

Stretching out to 1 1/16 miles from the 1-mile she raced over in the Grade 1 Natalma last out at Woodbine, Brocknardini broke strongly from the gate before happily taking up a midpack position under Joe Rocco Jr. The 2-year-old daughter of Palace Malice sat nearly 5 lengths off the lightly pressured leader as she put up moderate fractions of :24.77 and :51.26 with the complexation of the race not changing much down the backstretch.

As the field entered the turn, Selima turned serious with the pack bunching up and Brocknardini starting to look for room to escape her rail position. That came as they closed into the stretch and Rocco swung her a few paths wide to race outside the leaders.

Brocknardini was green at first when facing off with the early pacesetters but quickly got her mind back on the job and bolted past the field. Brocknardini didn’t leave a chance for the others try to catch her, building a lead down the stretch to win by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:47.45 over Flowers For Me.

Trained by George Weaver for Thomas and Daryn Brockley, Brocknardini broke her maiden on debut two starts ago by 4 3/4 lengths in a New York-bred maiden special weight over the same distance at Saratoga Race Course.

A $20,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearlings sale purchase by Nick Hines, agent, from Paramount Sales, she was wheeled back to this year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale where the Brockleys bought her from Pick View for $35,000.

Brocknardini is out of the Bernardini mare Broad Stripes, who is the dam of two winners from two to race. A three-time placer who sold for $20,000 to 3C Thoroughbreds at the 2022 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale, Broad Stripes is now an eighth-generation stakes producer. A half-sister to Grade 3-placed Manyuz, she is also a granddaughter of the Grade 3-placed On Parade.

On Parade produced multiple graded stakes winner Parading and Grade 2-placed Protesting with Protesting also the dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Performer and stakes winner Breaking The Rules with another On Parade daughter producing multiple stakes winner Madras Check.

On Parade is just one prolific broodmare out of the champion My Flag, whose other foals include champion Storm Flag Flying – who produced the dams of two graded stakes winners and stakes winner With Flying Colors among others.

My Flag herself is a daughter of the legendary undefeated Hall of Famer Personal Ensign.

Still residing in New York for 3C Thoroughbreds, Broad Stripes had a New York-bred filly by Maximum Security last year and was bred to Maclean’s Music in 2023 after missing to Fog of War in 2022.

Soloshot, a 2-year-old daughter of New York-based freshman sire Solomini, cruises to victory Monday’s Lady Finger at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

Soloshot didn’t wow trainer George Weaver when he worked the filly on the Oklahoma Training Track’s turf course this summer at Saratoga.

Weaver works most or all of his young prospects on the grass, “just to see,” and saw enough in Soloshot’s moves to keep her in a 5 ½-furlong maiden race late in the Saratoga meet when it came off the grass. The daughter of leading New York-based freshman sire Solomini walloped her seven rivals that day, running off to a 7 3/4-length win to validate Weaver’s opinion of the filly.

She took it a step further Monday at Finger Lakes, again taking the lead from the break on the way to a 2-length win in the $103,159 Lady Finger Stakes. Manny Franco rode Soloshot, the first stakes winner for her sire that stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs.

A $290,000 purchase by owners Bregman Family Racing, Jackpot Farm and Swinback Stables at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale, Soloshot won the 5 ½-furlong Lady Finger in 1:05.98. Bred by Rhapsody Farm and out of the Twirling Candy mare Sweet Queen, Soloshot improved to 2-for-2 with Monday’s victory.

Soloshot also added $61,895 to Solomini’s progeny total, which sat just shy of $350,000 to start the day. Solomini, an 8-year-old son of Curlin who stands for $6,500, came into the day 18th on New York’s general sire list and tops on its freshman sire list. He’ll wide that advantage thanks to the Lady Finger victory.

The even-money favorite in the field of seven, Soloshot took the lead from the start and led Redwineandwhiskey by a length through the opening quarter-mile in :23.31. She extended that advantage to the half in :46.98 while running down along the rail.

Soloshot led by 3 lengths in midstretch and held off Redwineandwhiskey at the finish by 2 lengths. Unicorn Cake, the 7-5 second choice and a debut winner at Saratoga Sept. 1, finished another three-quarters of a length back in third with Lika Rolling Stone fourth. Maggy’s Palace, Ixodes and Moon Chariot completed the field.

Soloshot is the third foal out of the stakes-placed Sweet Queen. A half-sister to Grade 3 winner Queen of the Castle, Sweet Queen is the dam of the two-time winning Practical Joke New York-bred filly Banterra.

Rhapsody Farm purchased Sweet Queen, carrying Banterra in utero, for $52,000 at the 2020 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale. Sweet Queen is also the dam of a yearling full sister to Soloshot that sold for $27,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale. – Tom Law

Canigetaloan outfinishes his foes in Monday’s Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

• Jeremiah Englehart thought he might have something after his 2-year-old colt Canigetaloan ran second in a maiden special weight for New York-breds at Saratoga Race Course in August. A workout on the Oklahoma Training Track two weeks later confirmed it.

Canigetaloan breezed 4 furlongs in :47.20 August 29, earning the bullet and giving Englehart the confidence to run him in a stakes for his second start. After considering Sunday’s Bertram F. Bongard at the Belmont at the Big A meet, Engelhart opted for Monday’s $99,388 Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes.

Good choice.

Deftly steered through an opening between horses in the stretch by jockey Kendrick Carmouche, Canigetaloan took the lead at the sixteenth pole and prevailed in a three-way photo to add black type to his first win.

“That was a good horse race,” Engelhart said after watching the son of Leofric out of Diva’s Delight outduel Trust Fund, who had beaten him at Saratoga, and even-money favorite Tall Paul.

The winning margin was a head over Trust Fund, who edged Tall Paul by the same amount. Pacesetter Antonio of Venice was another length back in fourth. The final time was 1:05.

“He was a nice horse all spring,” Englehart said. “I thought he ran very well in his first race. He overcame some adversity. He was stuck down on the inside and I don’t think he wanted to be there. He was doing some things I like in the morning, so I didn’t feel like it was a big shot to put him in this race.”

Tall Paul and Trust Fund broke best, but Antonio of Venice rushed up the rail to take the early lead through a quarter-mile in :22.55. Tall Paul sat right off him, with Trust Fund and Canigetaloan also within 2 lengths of the lead heading into the turn. Antonio of Venice opened up a bit after they straightened out, and when Tall Paul moved to the middle of the track, with Trust Fund outside of him, Carmouche pounced.

“I wasn’t sure if he was going to go in between (Tall Paul) and (Trust Fund) or stay where he was,” Engelhart said. “It just opened up enough and Kendrick pushed him through.”

A $40,000 Legion Bloodstock purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred sale, Canigetaloan is jointly owned by Legion Racing, Peter Dorsman Racing, Spa City Stables and Christopher Dunn. Bred by Shaun Bridgmohan, she was foaled on Valentine’s Day in 2021.

“Their plan was to race and sell and they sold some pieces after the first race,” Engelhart said.

Leofric started his stallion career at Rockridge Stud in Hudson before being moved to Darby Dan Farm in Lexington last year. Canigetaloan is the third foal out of Diva’s Delight. Avid Sucinori, by Ironicus, has won three times in 24 starts. Devious Delight, by Alternation, ran second in her only start and died at age 2. Diva’s Delight has also produced an unnamed filly by Leofric and an unnamed colt by Unified. – Paul Halloran

Barry K. Schwartz’s homebred El Grande O romps in Sunday’s Bertram F. Bongard. NYRA Photo.

El Grande O almost added to trainer Linda Rice’s haul of victories this summer at Saratoga Race Course, finishing second in a pair of stakes efforts.

Barry K. Schwartz’s homebred son of Take Charge Indy didn’t come up short Sunday, demolishing a field of six New York-bred 2-year-olds with an 8 ¼-length victory in the $125,000 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes at the Belmont at the Big A meeting. Jose Ortiz rode the colt to victory for Rice, winning in 1:23.89 over the sloppy and sealed track.

“He broke sharp. Obviously, he has speed,” Ortiz said. “I went out there and he was the fastest in the race. He proved that he was much the best today. I can’t take any credit – he was the best horse.”

The 3-5 favorite coming off a second in the Funny Cide Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day, El Grande O improved to 2-for-6 with three seconds and a third and boosted his earnings to $204,000.

Ortiz put El Grande O on the lead after a slight bump at the start and led Detective Tom through the opening quarter-mile in :22.76. They extended that advantage through the half in :46.03, while continuing to widen the lead into the stretch.

El Grande O led by 6 in midstretch and finished under steady urging well in front. Aggelos the Great ralled from third early to finish second, 2 lengths ahead of Bonne Chance. Skyler’s Starship, Detective Tom and Ranger Blue completed the field.

“I told Jose to just use his best judgement, and obviously he put him up on the front end and everything worked out well,” said Rice, Saratoga’s co-leading trainer this season with 35 victories.

Rice said El Grande O would most likely target the $200,000 Sleepy Hollow Stakes on Empire Showcase Day Oct. 29.

El Grande O is the ninth foal out of the stakes-placed Unbridled’s Song mare Rainbow’s Song. A half-sister to multiple stakes winner and stakes producer Class Above, Rainbow’s Song is the dam of four winners led by Grade 2-placed Meal Ticket.

Schwartz purchased Rainbow’s Song in foal to American Pharoah for $13,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale. El Grande O is her third New York-bred foal and she’s also the dam of a New York-bred yearling filly by Dialed In that sold for $32,000 at the recent Keeneland September sale. St. Simon Place, which purchased the mare for $17,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November breeding stock sale, bred that yearling and also a Kentucky-bred colt by Mendelssohn born March 30.

Richard Greeley’s Cara’s Time upsets Sunday’s Joseph A. Gimma Stakes. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

By Alec DiConza

Cara’s Time may have been the longest shot on the board at 22-1, but that didn’t stop the gray or roan filly from defeating her four rivals in Sunday’s Joseph A. Gimma Stakes at the Belmont at the Big A meet.

Breaking from the inside post, the 2-year-old New York-bred daughter of Not This Time rushed to the lead in the early stages of the 7-furlong contest. Under Dylan Davis, Cara’s Time set fractions of :22.87 for the quarter and :46.23 for the half before kicking clear of the stalking My Shea D Lady at the top of the stretch.

Though undefeated 4-5 favorite Caldwell Luvs Gold came with her typical closing kick, Cara’s Time was able to hold off the challenger en route to a 1 1/2-length score on the sloppy and sealed track. My Man Squeeze finished third with My Shea D Lady and Nicky Jolene completing the field.

Owned by Richard Greeley and trained by Mitch Friedman, Cara’s Time won in 1:23.28.

“I’d never sat on her in the morning, but I saw she had good gate speed,” Davis said. “Our plan was to break and come out running. When she got there, she was loving every part of it. She was a little skipper on that mud and she really got comfortable. I could hear them behind me trying to range up at the two-and-a-half, and I just tried to get her run going a little bit, but not too much because she got late there with [Jose] Lezcano last time out. She just kept finding more and more down the lane, so it was great. The one closer [Caldwell Luvs Gold] was coming, but I knew it was too late for her.”

Cara’s Time turned the tables on Caldwell Luvs Gold in the Gimma, rebounding in a big way from a fifth in the Seeking the Ante Stakes at Saratoga Race Course when finishing 25 3/4 lengths back. Friedman was very pleasantly surprised to see the change in fortune this time around.

“I thought she would probably get the lead by herself, but I was surprised [to win] a bit,” Friedman said. “She didn’t run good last time, but I knew she had a good excuse. I put the blinkers on her and it made her a little worse. She’s nervous and wants to react to it. She had dumped the rider after she broke her maiden, and in the mornings, if she sees something, she won’t walk through the end of the barn – she has to go through the middle if there’s something she doesn’t like. I thought the blinkers would help with all of that and she worked well with them, but we took them off and [hoped] she would stay focused.”

Friedman believes the sloppy surface helped Cara’s Time snatch the first stakes victory of her career.

“The wet track probably helped her out a lot,” he said. “Dylan said she was gliding over it and that she likes the wet track.”

Friedman didn’t commit to a next start for Cara’s Time.

“We’ll look and see what’s next on the schedule,” he said. “We’re in no rush.”

Cara’s Time now has two wins in three starts with earnings of $118,000.

Bred by Stephen Crestani Jr., Cara’s Time is out of the Macho Uno mare Zindra. Greeley purchased Cara’s Time for $175,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. Zindra has produced one other winner among her three to race – the New York-bred Tapizar mare Glorious Tapizar.